


Oblivion

by watercolorwoman



Series: Persona Rarepair Week - Akeharu [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Moral Ambiguity, Persona 5 Spoilers, Secret Relationship, mention of Shuake if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watercolorwoman/pseuds/watercolorwoman
Summary: The two fought for centuries to guide their humans towards the path they wanted. Haru wanted to help humanity and guide them into Heaven. Goro wanted to ruin lives and drag them to Hell.Things get complicated when their latest human, Ren Amamiya, catches the attention of another god.Day 2 for Rarepair Week: Angel/Demon AU
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Okumura Haru
Series: Persona Rarepair Week - Akeharu [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024503
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Oblivion

When Haru was assigned to watch over a young child, Ren Amamiya, she figured it would be fine. Ryuji had looked over him the first few years of his life and had nothing but good things to say about him. After all, he appeared to have loving parents, a safe environment, and was clearly intelligent. She wasn't worried at all about guiding him on the right path to heaven. 

Upon her first visit to see him, she watches a toddler play with blocks in the living room. With parents nearby, there's nothing substantial about it. She sits on an empty chair in the dining room, watching him lovingly. She cared greatly for those she had to watch over, and this little boy had already won over her heart. This wouldn't be trouble at all. 

At least, that's what she thought.

When she gazes out the window for a moment, away from the child, she suddenly hears scolding. Flipping back, the child throws a tantrum on the floor, angrily demanding something from his parents. In the other corner of the room was a tall slender young man in all black. A devilish smile on his face and a familiar pair of black horns, she knew what was coming. With a pout on her face, she marches over to him, passing by the family still in turmoil. 

"Really Goro? You're his demon? This is the third person we've been assigned in a row and truly, I'm exhausted from seeing you." Haru complains, frustrated from the situation. 

He smirks. "So you're Ryuji's replacement huh? I was hoping for someone… well, more qualified. You don't exactly have the best luck against me do you?" 

No, she didn't. It made her sad seeing her humans inevitably get dragged into Hell because she couldn't get her humans to walk a more divine path. Especially since anytime they did, Goro was the corresponding demon. 

"I'm going to ensure he walks the right path, and I don't care what you say." Haru retorts back, her voice cracking at the end. 

Goro laughs. "How about we make a deal then? If Ren ends up in Heaven I'll leave you alone, quit this job and work in the mines of Hell. You'll never have to deal with me again as your demon." 

Haru knew little of the mines. She knew it was the demon’s own kind of Hell, within Hell. It was a necessary job to ensure there was always evil in the world, but it was a demanding job. That was all she knew about it, and for him to wager that was surprising. 

Haru cocks an eyebrow. "What if he ends in Purgatory or Hell?" 

He rolls his eyes. "Neither of us get bonuses with our humans ending up in Purgatory, that's punishment enough for both of us. But if he goes to Hell… well," His eyes flick to her wings. "I get to cut your wings off." 

She gasps, grabbing the edges of her wings. "There's no way this is an equal trade! The mines cannot be as bad as becoming a fallen angel." 

The dark humor in his voice fades, his face growing deadly serious. "The mines are where demons are sent when they commit crimes, and it's difficult to anger Satan with a crime enough to be forced there. If Satan hardly sends demons there, it's for a reason." 

She holds onto her wings a little tighter, the soft texture always comforting her. She didn't really want to send him to the mines either… but maybe for now, they could deal with this, and change the terms later. Goro was always far too dramatic for her liking. He reaches a hand out, a red pentagram on his palm. When she shakes it, there's a sting in her palm, a flashback moment. A voice -

_Leave me ALONE!_

"Ow! Why did that sting?" She asks, pulling back. She decides against asking about the voice. That was clearly Goro, with a fearful and crying voice. Whatever it was, it was too much for her to ask about right now. 

"You touched a demon. Of course your little angel hands can't handle Hell." Goro laughs. "If a little handshake like that is enough to cause a spark I can't imagine -" 

Haru shushes him. "That is enough, thank you very much. The deal is done, and clearly," She gestures to Ren, who continues to cry, "I have to deal with your mess. So can you at the very least leave for the day and we can start this tomorrow?" 

Goro stares at her like she has three heads. Normally she would never ask something like that of him, mainly because he wouldn't do it. What reason would he have? It's just wasted time, and human lives can be too short.

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow." He answers through his teeth, already the black smoke appearing at his feet before he even finishes speaking. "But I'm not going to the mines." 

Goro disappears fully, leaving her alone with the family. She gently touches his shoulder, already calming him down enough to help his parent's stress. She smiles, and while she knows he can't see her, her heart is full. She could feel it, this child would do something great with his life. She just had to show him the way. 

And somehow get Goro off her back to do so.  
\--

Watching Ren grow up was both a blessing and a curse. Moments would stand out in Haru's mind from his childhood. 

Ren was eight, stuck in a classroom. The class was dragging on, and despite no influence form either of them, he was already dozing off. There were two choices: he starts paying attention and doing well in class, or he'd cause a disruption and get in trouble. It was a race to the other side of the room, the two clamoring over each other. He'd pull back on her wings, she'd grab his collar. In this circumstance, Goro is the first to reach him and Ren is sent to the principal's office. 

Never in her life had she ever touched him before starting their experience with Ren. Every time she'd touch his skin by accident, she'd hear something new. Pieces of a repressed memory she could only pull together as he dragged her away from Ren. Sometimes they were brief, like the first time. Others were longer, and she'd sit and cry for a few minutes after she was done for the night, thinking about the pain he still had to experience in Hell. Phrases in her mind repeating over and over -

_Scum of the pits of hell…_

_I don't want this…_

_I just want my freedom back -_

Unfortunately, circumstances like this kept happening over and over again. It was never often enough for her to turn off her ability to hear the memories, but anytime it did happen was new information for her to use. The fighting for brief moments with him, the harsh and burning sensations on her skin, her picking up pieces of a past she'd never hear from his lips.

It was all connected to this one human boy. 

Ren was strange. Over well behaved and likely on track to go to Heaven, but he was so morally confusing that she was surprised he wasn't more of a trouble maker. A blank slate, Goro had once dubbed Ren as the most boring human he’d ever seen. She couldn't really blame him for it; he was oddly plain. 

It's not until he's sixteen years old, living in a suburb in Tokyo that they realize Ren’s fate was truly out of both of their hands. It was a dark night. He was walking home from visiting a friend nearby. Goro and Haru follow closely behind, her arms crossed and his at his sides. 

She hadn't forgotten the deal in all these years, and she knew he didn't either. It did, however, lead to quiet walks that were previously filled with bickering as the two focused on whatever was going on with Ren. 

"Somebody help me please!" A woman cries out. The two look at each other, already preparing their hands to reach him. Before either of them can act, he bolts in the direction of the scream. 

"Do your feet suddenly feel heavy?" Haru panics, her pace a simple walking speed. 

"What is this?" Goro growls. "Why can't we reach him?" 

Eventually she feels her feet get so heavy she's forced to stop. He lasts a little longer, but not very much. Either way, both had a view of what was happening. 

Ren trying to save a woman, the disgusting man pining a crime on him, the view of red and blue dragging away what they both knew was an innocent young man. They let him go off into the car, shock on both of their faces. 

Haru brings her hand to her eyes, the tears coming shortly after. "That was so cruel, he did nothing wrong! Why couldn't we do anything?"

"Someone else has their hand in this. It's no longer just about where Ren ends up, it's impacting our ability to work." 

\--

"Oh, hello Haru! What brings you - oh, you brought guests." Sadayo tells her. As her direct boss, Haru figured if anyone was going to know what happened, it'd be her. Sitting at her desk with paperwork everywhere, she's initially warm and friendly until she sees Goro with her. "I hope you have a pass to be here, demons are hardly allowed up here."

Goro scowls, showing her a black piece of paper with a detailed white stamp on it he illegally fabricated before they came. An eye roll follows after, "Trust me when I say I wouldn't want to be here otherwise." Sadayo eyes go back to her paperwork, mindlessly organizing different sheets into files. 

"Sadayo, Goro is the demon assigned to my current human. When a moment came up for us to help him make a decision, our feet were bound and we couldn't move." Haru explains. Sadayo stops organizing, neatly placing the papers on the table before she gives the pair her full attention. 

"What do you mean? That sounds literally impossible." Sadayo briefly pauses, reconsidering her response. "Actually, this sounds like one of the other gods interfering, which would make it out of any of our jurisdictions. Only they could really do what happened with you two, if they wanted something to do with your human."

Haru couldn't believe what she was hearing. One of the other gods interfering with a human? What kind of horrible reality was this for her? She quietly gasps, but Goro remains neutral, not surprising her too much.

"What do we do then? We can't simply abandon him, it's our job." Haru pleads, stepping forward. Whether Ren would end up a bad person or not, she was in it for the long haul. She needed to see this through. 

Sadayo sighs, "Look, it'd be easier," She points to both Goro and Haru, "For both of you to abandon your human. Let this god take him and wherever he ends up, he ends up. It wouldn't appear on either of your records, because it's out of your hands." 

"I can't believe this!" Haru exclaims. "I'm not giving up on Ren!" She storms out, trying to catch her breath as she does so until she's finally out of the building. Looking up at the bright lights of Heaven, she didn't feel so holy right now. She couldn't just leave him behind, and what of her deal with Goro? That was still hanging over her head. After a few minutes of silence, with only the sound of the occasional conversation from afar, she hears a clearing of a throat up close. 

"Why do you care so much about Ren?" Goro asks, an unexpected kindness in his voice. She would've expected him to run off by now, but instead he was here. Standing next to her while still illegally visiting Heaven. 

"I care for humanity. I see the potential in them, even if they don't always make the right choices." Haru gives a half smile. "I know they can be kind and loving to each other. I want to be someone who can influence the best in them." 

"So you're staying his guardian angel? Despite the circumstances?" Goro asks. She nods, "Well, don't think I've forgotten about our deal. Other god or not, I'm ensuring his position in Hell." 

How was Haru supposed to take that? She scratches her head, "I'm surprised you haven't left. As far as I know your track record is spotless, why risk it now?" 

"That's highly classified." Goro retorts back, the anger returning to his voice. That was the one she was more familiar with. But if he was willing to risk it all, it had to be for more than just the deal. 

"You like Ren too, don't you Goro?" Haru teases, flashing a big smile, "You're invested in his decisions." 

Goro pinches the bridge of his nose. "If I confess I am invested, will you drop the topic?" 

Haru starts to walk away, "That's highly classified." 

\--

It quickly became clear to both of them that while Ren was under the influence of this other god, they would have little to no control over his actions. He was a blank slate, no external impact from either of them. All they could do was watch, take opportunities where they could while the god had little or no influence over him. It hardly happened since the first time they were stuck. 

It hurt Haru greatly watching the court cases, especially with the horrid man sending Ren to his doom in Tokyo. She would never say it out loud, but anytime she watched Goro during the trial, there was a clear pain in his own face. As if he had lived through something similar, watching a flashback of his own life. The words still ringing in her head - 

_Leave me ALONE -_

There wasn't anymore clamouring, which meant she didn't get to hear anything from his mind anymore. After Ren’s sentencing, they both sat on the steps of the courthouse. Haru was surprised to see he was still here, and even more so, he sat next to her. In previous humans, he'd run off at any chance to cause trouble elsewhere. With Ren, Goro was different. 

"So we're off to Tokyo. I'm not sure if I've ever overseen a human in a city that large before." Haru breaks the silence. He still stares down at his hand, the marking of the devil clear on his palm. 

"City humans are different. They won't hesitate to ruin lives, and they're far more likely to go to Hell, and often outside of a demon's interference." Goro responds. "This seems to be working in my favor." 

Haru shakes her head, "Nope! I’m still going to guide him to Heaven!" 

"Don't you ever consider our justice?" He suddenly says, closing his hand to hide the mark on his palm. "Why can't we decide our own justice?" 

She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. How was she supposed to respond to something like that? It hurt her to consider her own justice wasn't right. It was what she was taught after all, there was no other way besides the right one. 

"We're taught our rules for a reason, we shouldn't stray from it now." Haru responds. That prompts him to get up, the smoke returning to his feet to leave. He takes one last glance at Haru. 

"Rules are broken in the human world. Why can't we break them as well?" He disappears then. Ren comes out shortly after. He looked like a criminal, with the worn out clothing and disheveled hair. But one look at his face, and it was clear he was just a child. She could see the toddler in his features, and the fear that came through hadn't changed all these years later. He was still a good kid. 

And yet, Goro's words echoed in her mind. 

They became louder and louder with the existence of the metaverse. 

The first time Goro and Haru stepped inside, it was an out of body experience. The influence of the palace ruler was clear, and it weighed on their shoulders. For Haru, that was more literal. She felt sluggish following Ren inside, and even more so as the team grew with the addition of two additional Shujin students, and she had to keep up with them. 

However, it was the first time she fully took his words to heart. Watching the battle, seeing the blonde model decide against killing the palace ruler, but still finding a way to change his heart against his will. It was the first time she considered the moral implication, because truly, it was neither right or wrong. 

"The Phantom Thieves," Goro says one day, when they're on the roof top as Ren and his friends meet to discuss what was next. "Are a truly peculiar group." 

"I don't know how to feel about it." Haru admits. Goro's eyes widened with the shock of her confession. "They're doing the right thing, but the wrong way. They're not on the right side of the law."

He shrugs. "And what's wrong with that? What else would you expect when neither of us can do anything to him right now? He's on his own, of course his decisions are morally gray." 

Morally gray. Something about that didn't sit right with Haru. It meant that while Ren was good, he was just as equally bad, giving him a one way ticket to Purgatory if everything worked out. 

"But why? Why couldn't he find a legal way to stop that teacher?" Haru questions, not so much to Goro but aloud. She already knew the answer, and Goro didn't reply with one. The legal system had ruined Ren's life. Why would he trust it now? "So what do we do now? Neither of us have been able to get close to him since he entered the metaverse for the first time." 

"We watch, perhaps he'll surprise us. Even more so, we may be able to find clues on the other god influencing him." Goro responds. As much as she disliked him, he was incredibly intelligent. He had almost a detective attitude to him, something she almost envied. Most likely, him being able to decipher and understand people’s natures is what led him to beating her every single time. 

"You've been far more civil with me." Haru says her thoughts aloud again. She tightens her lip with the realization, freezing on her feet. 

"And you haven't preached at me in awhile so I suppose we're both changing." Goro says. That was perhaps the friendliest conversation she'd had with him in, well, the entire time they've known each other. Maybe angels and demons could be friends. 

"Let's be friends. We can remain rivals with the deal we have, but perhaps it's time we learn more about each other." Haru offers. In a way, it was a ploy for her to finally get information from him, the things haunting his mind. 

He grunts, "Fine, we can be 'friendly', but don't expect much else." 

She grinds her teeth, "I won't." 

\--

Friendly would quickly become an understatement. 

Anytime something new happened with the Phantom Thieves, they would immediately contact each other to investigate. It started out with simple text messages, alerting the other of something up and coming in Ren’s life. It expanded into theories of what the next move would be, how he was truly becoming his own person outside of their influence. Haru was truly starting to look forward to watching Ren's activities and more so discussing the results with Goro. She enjoyed watching the team add another member, a young artist with a depressing past and a sad case of Stockholm Syndrome. 

"Goodness his mentor leaves me so confused." Haru complains, the night the Phantom Thieves secure their route into the palace. They were sitting in the Shibuya train station, watching as the team debriefed before leaving. 

"I'm surprised you're not supporting the group more. The man clearly has taken advantage of several young artists. Why wouldn't they interfere with his palace?" Goro reasons. The voice of reason, as of late. It was strange to her to hear him justifying good intent and positive actions. Wait… 

"Did you just defend a good action?" Haru gasps. Goro doesn't flinch at her question, keeping his eyes on the team that was leaving the station where they sat. Neither made an attempt to follow Ren. 

"Morally gray, Haru. They're not on the right side of the law. I also…" His voice falters at the end, vulnerability clear in his body language. "Never mind. We should go." 

"Wait!" Haru reaches for his arm. She holds onto it for longer than she expects, and it causes her to be thrown back into the tormented situation she kept hearing whenever they touched. 

_A young man, standing alone as the devil towered over him. Eyes filled with rage and pure evil, staring down eyes of fear and concern. He says -_

There were no voices this time, but she pulled away from his arm quickly. Her hand is red from holding on for too long. For the first time ever, Goro looks at her confused and afraid. She knew right there and then that he had figured her out. 

"You're an empress angel, aren't you? It's why you're so empathetic with all the humans you oversee." Goro demands. There was pain in his voice, as if he was betrayed. Haru tries to massage her palm, removing the sting as she reels in his statement. "It's why you're crying too." 

She touches the stream on her cheeks, salty tears on the tips of her fingers. She looks at the small glistening ends of her fingers. Truthfully, It had been awhile since anyone called her that. There weren’t many like her, and she’d only met three others with the same ability as her. The ability to understand someone’s past with a simple touch. She’d never tell him because… well, there was no reason to. It normally helped with her humans, not understanding the torment of demons. 

She quickly wipes away the unexpected tears with her non-stinging hand. "Yes, I've never had a reason to tell you. But if you're wondering if my abilities work on demons, my tears should tell you everything you need to know." 

Goro uses his hand to weave through his hair, the other one going to his side. His mouth contorted in disgust. Haru could tell this was frustrating him… but, why? Why was he so annoyed that she didn't tell him? What was he hiding 

"Anything you saw or heard, ignore it. It is none of your business." 

"Goro whatever is going on, it's clearly hurting you." 

With a puff, he leaves without warning. It was her turn to be frustrated and annoyed. Why did he have to be so difficult all the time? She sighs, walking over to the spot where the thieves were a moment ago. Overlooking the Tokyo street, she picks up her hand to check on her palm. 

It was already healing well, as she expected it to. Her previous encounters with him were like that, there was no reason to assume the scar would last longer. No, that wasn't the long term implications she was worried about. 

She was more so concerned about this strange feeling she was having for Goro, one that made absolutely no sense. She shoves it away, it wouldn't mean anything later on. Pushing everything away would surely help her. 

\--

It did not help at all the next time she saw him. 

If anything, it heightened her feelings even more. She wanted to learn more about him. What made him tick, the things he enjoyed in his free time, how he took his morning coffee. Small things she normally wouldn’t consider when talking with a demon. Things that made him more real, not just some demon she’s supposed to hate for dragging her humans to Hell. 

So she snuck glances at him, back in the Shibuya station again, when she wasn’t watching the conversation among the Phantom Thieves.. With the group’s latest member, Haru felt less conflicted about her feelings towards their actions. It was wrong, but so was taking advantage of teenagers to sell illegal drugs. More so, the student council president was clearly a young woman with good intentions. She just wanted to protect the students. 

The glances she snuck, watching his face remain as neutral as possible. Needless to say, her interest in him was exceeding her expectations, and yet, he had remained distant since that night. It didn’t surprise her. 

“What do you think of the student council president as their latest addition? She seems as if she’ll be a valuable advisor for them.” Haru suggests, this time looking at him fully. There’s a twitch of a smile, but he hides it away. 

“She’ll be useful.” He responds dryly, not looking at her. She feels her wings sag slightly. She had to find some way to get him to talk to her again, otherwise it was going to be a frustrating time. 

“I’m sorry, for not telling you I was an empress angel.” She blurts out. His face remains to the team, “I never saw a reason to tell you, especially since we never spoke this much before.” 

“...What did you see?” He asks her, the hint of betrayal from their last real conversation returning. “Or hear, rather. I understand it’s not as simple as vision.” 

Finally, his body facing her again. He was letting her inside. It was time to confess the truth, everything she’d heard from almost the entirety of Ren’s life. When she explains it, she’s cautious. She remains a safe distance from him, one where if he were to reach out to hurt her, she could fly away and run back home. His body language initially tells her to be afraid, his tall stance towering over her. Although the more she shared, the less frightening he came off. It was like watching him almost turn into a child, scared and afraid of being scolded for hiding something. 

“And that’s everything I know.” Haru finishes explaining. He looked absolutely drained, and she had a feeling she had a similar look on her own face. 

“You know my feelings during some of the lowest points of my life.” Goro hesitates. “And yet you don’t know the circumstances themselves. Truly interesting.” 

“It’d be nice to know what caused you this amount of pain, but I cannot push you to do something so out of your comfort zone. I’m surprised you even spoke to me again. I thought this was going to be a quiet few decades.” Haru admits. 

“You apologized, you showed me sympathy and recounted my trauma with careful sincerity. It’s hard to receive anything of the sort when you walk around with horns on your head, especially from an angel such as yourself.” Goro smirks. Was that a compliment, or simply stating a fact? She knew the idea of calling someone an angel as a fairly positive compliment, but coming from Goro of all people? No, it had to be a fact. Why was she overthinking it this much?

“Why wouldn’t I be sympathetic to you? You said it yourself, I’m an empress -”

“That’s not what I mean.” Goro cuts her off, raising his voice slightly. There was no malintent in it, but Haru remained afraid. Not for herself, but for him. “I’ve met the empress angels before. Margaret, Mitsuru, Yukino. They were respectful, but all angels are to a fault. You sympathize with me not because you need to, but because you want to. Why?”

The answer was clear to her at that moment. She was falling for him, a demon from hell. 

“I don’t want to see you suffer. I’ve seen great suffering with humans, and even some of the other demons I’ve encountered. But you’re the first demon I truly want to help.” Haru explains. It wasn’t a total lie, albeit the part of her feelings. “Could you explain what those visions mean some day?” 

“I’ll explain it to you later, but for now let’s call it here. I do believe we both need a break, especially after watching the Phantom Thieves’ experience with that corrupt mafia boss.” Goro rushes through the explain part. She felt hopeful she’d be able to connect the pieces that were scattered throughout. Even more so, there was a later. Things didn’t have to end with this conversation. 

“I look forward to it.” Haru smiles. “Care to schedule it in so you can prepare yourself? I assume this will not be an easy conversation.” 

He sighs heavily, his face deep in thought, “When they recruit their next member, we can talk. With how charismatic Ren is becoming, I have no doubt he will eventually find someone else to join their team.” 

That could be days from now, or months away. Potentially years depending on how long the team continued. But there was a later, and she had to hold onto that hope. 

Hope that happened sooner than she expected. 

It took a few months for the young hacker to join the team, but Haru knew from the moment they stepped into her palace, she would be recruited to join them. With both of them knowing that, everytime she spoke or saw Goro after that, there was a bit of hesitation in his voice. It was unusual for someone normally so confident and upfront. She chalked it up to nerves, since the hacker’s palace was unusually difficult for the team. They pulled through, however, and the hacker joined their team shortly after stealing her treasure. 

It took a week or so after the hacker woke up though, and finally on the beach watching the team enjoy their summer vacation for Goro to officially call it. 

“Care to go for a walk?” Goro asks Haru. She glances at Ren smiling, playfully telling jokes to the rest of the team. “They’ll be fine. I believe there’s something I must tell you.” 

Truthfully, she hadn’t anticipated him going through with it. Then again, she knew he was a demon of his word even before they started with Ren. She nods, and the two walk away from the group. With the sun setting, it felt oddly romantic to be walking next to him. A part of her wanted to reach for his hand, but after the burn from last time, she knew he didn’t want to be touched. 

“Out of curiosity, are you able to stop the burning every time I touch you?” Haru checks. 

“Yes, and for obvious reasons I had kept it up for so long. But I’ll stop the burning,” He stops in front of the ocean, their feet near the small waves that crept onto the sand. In close proximity, she could smell the scent of vanilla on him. It was a common way to mask the smell of death, but she knew demons hardly ever used it, especially when around angels. He holds his hands out to her. “You’re able to see images the longer you hold on, yes? It may be easier to show you than for me to explain what happened.” 

The ability to touch his hands without fear of burning is exhilarating. But she had to set her feelings aside right now, and put herself back into the position of an empress angel, one that was going to see something scarring enough to make her cry with little to no context. She takes his hand, their fingers interlocking. She makes eye contact with him, seeing the concern before she’s sucked into the memory.

>   
>  _Goro. Alone in front of an overwhelmingly large throne. The creature sitting was one she’d never seen in person, but just as frightening to witness in a memory._
> 
> _“You’ve disappointed me.” The voice booms over._
> 
> _“I already apologized for it. Isn’t it enough that I cannot reap any of the benefits? What more do you want from me?” Goro screams back. A slap to his face, both literally and figuratively, follows shortly after. It sends him flying across the floor, his hand reaching to touch his cheek. There’s dark blood on it._
> 
> _“Had I known you were this weak I would have never let you live. Scum of the pits of hell…” The creature spits on him, Goro screaming. There’s an acid burn already forming on his arm from it._
> 
> _“I don’t want this, I just want my freedom back. Can you blame me for wanting to take matters into my own hands?” Goro continues to fight back, struggling to stand back up. Another slap to the face, but this time he simply lands back on the ground._
> 
> _“You will continue to drag the humans to Hell, or you shall face a punishment worse than Hell itself.”_
> 
> _Goro coughs, his voice faltering from his struggle to breath. “Leave me ALONE -”_  
> 

Haru falls back onto the sand, the intensity of the memory pulling her out of it. Rarely was she was ever pulled out unwillingly, especially in a painful memory like that. No, her own personal boundaries must’ve pulled her out. She never needed the failsafe before, but it was there for a reason. Goro sits down next to her, careful to avoid touching her.

“Was that…” Haru trails off, not wanting to say it. 

“Satan, the king of hell, the almighty ruler of the underworld? However you want to label it, yes.” Goro’s voice drips in disgust. “He’s a despicable creature unworthy of any title he holds. His views counter mine consistently and my opposing views have caused me nothing but trouble.” 

“But what caused the issue? What did you go against?” Haru asks. Even with the memory, she remained confused. He holds his head up high, the wind blowing in his hair. He was handsome, scars and all. Even if she couldn’t express her feelings, she could bask in it internally. 

“Justice, to put it plainly. I don’t agree with the way he handles Hell. It’s why I’ve taken a liking to Ren. Under normal circumstances, he would likely be dragged to Hell, but these are no normal circumstances. You’re right in saying he has a good heart, even if his actions do not always reflect this. I would send him to Heaven, or at the very least, Purgatory. I want to decide his justice, but Satan would never let me.” 

Haru furrows her brows. “I don’t understand. Why would you want that? You’re a demon, you should want to drag more people to Hell.”

“Hell is complicated. There’s good people in Hell the same way there’s bad people in Heaven. Humans are not judged appropriately when their time comes, and it only benefits Satan.” Haru couldn’t argue with that logic. There were humans in the afterlife she wasn’t fond of, but who was she to question the system? She was a simple angel, she wasn’t a god. “It’s why I asked you back at the courthouse about your justice. I question my own, I was hoping you were smart enough to question yours.”

“Goro I…” She bites her lip. She didn’t understand it before, but it made sense now. “I understand. I can’t say I’m on the same level as you, but I understand the feeling of questioning what’s right and wrong.” 

“I suppose that puts us in a precarious situation, with our earlier deal.” Goro states. Haru had honestly forgotten the deal with everything that was happening since he found out she was an empress angel. She traces circles in the sand, trying to figure out what the next step was. If neither of them was really fighting for Ren’s placement, what was the point?

“How about we make a new deal? We still need to understand the other god influencing Ren’s life. I believe we’ve set this aside for too long.” Haru offers. 

“I’m not opposed to that. But upon finding the god, and with the end of Ren’s life in time, he’ll likely go to Heaven. We stop speaking to each other, and you ask your direct superiors to ensure you’re not assigned with me anymore. Deal? She stops the tracing in the sand. He seemed to be in his own thoughts, as if he didn’t want that. But why mention it at all?

“I know we’ve had our disagreements, but why? What’s the benefit in this?” Haru provokes. “Are you afraid I’ll pull more information out of you?” 

“It’s not that at all. I trust you to not do so on purpose, and that in itself is the issue.” Goro acknowledges. “I shouldn’t trust an angel, and you shouldn’t trust a demon.” He turns to her, ferocity in his tone. “And we both know where this is leading, don’t think I haven’t seen your glances.”

Well, what was she supposed to do now? Confess now that she was caught? This wasn’t what she wanted; she’d considered what a confession from him would be like but didn’t think it would actually happen. He was falling for her, the same way she was for him. 

“How long?” A vague question, but she knew he’d understand. 

“A while... Haru, we can’t do this. You’re an angel, I’m a demon. It would never work. We’ve both committed to Ren already despite the interfering god, so we’re stuck with each other no matter what. But after him, we shouldn’t see each other.” Goro stands back up, the imprint of him left on the sand. She mentally blocks off the empress abilities in her, reaching for his hand. He looks down at her. “Are you asking me to help you up? I'd prefer you don't look into me at the moment.”

“I can turn my empress abilities off too.” She says simply, but he cocks an eyebrow. “I don’t normally, but I can.” He grabs her hand, pulling her up with him. She slips slightly putting her feet on the sand, and falls into his chest. He grabs her by the waist, her head tilting up to meet his eyes. This was the closest she’s ever been to him. He was warm, welcoming. This up close, this didn’t feel like the same demon that dragged everyone of her humans from her grasp. This was Goro. 

“This is dangerous.” He says, breathless. “We just made the new deal.” Despite his words, he doesn’t move his hands or push her away from him. 

“I haven’t agreed to the terms yet, and neither have you. I propose a change before we agree.” Haru says, not taking her eyes off him to watch for any change in his mood. 

“And what are these terms?"

“We work together to determine the god influencing Ren’s life. Until then, we… try a relationship. It’s unorthodox and completely unheard of, but I’m not opposed to it. After determining the nature of the god and seeing if the god leaves Ren alone thereafter, we decide if we want to continue. If even one of us is against it, I’ll speak to my direct superior and ensure we’re never assigned again. If we’re both alright continuing, we continue on.” 

His mouth opens slightly, but his hand does all the talking when he reaches up to touch her cheek. He keeps it there, “Fine. I agree to your terms.” 

\--

It was strange, actively seeing Goro outside of the human world. Even then, they were careful seeing each other. It was harder for her to sneak into hell, so it was up to him to come into her room whenever it was dark. 

Haru started leaving the window open a crack, letting him get in easily. Even when she wasn't in the room, she'd hear his footsteps nearby. Poking her head in one late October evening, she sees him closing the window. Waiting at the door way, he quickly brings down the blinds in what she assumes is record time. 

The look on his face isn't what she expects. 

"We need to get to Ren, now." Goro seriously says, "The Phantom Thieves, the mission backfired and they're pinned for the death of the CEO." 

Haru frantically runs to her bedroom to grab her shoes, Goro not far behind her. She sits on the edge of her bed, tying her shoes up accordingly. 

"I don't understand, they stole his treasure. What could have happened?" Haru wonders out loud. She gives up on the second shoe, tucking the laces inside the shoes before the two go to the human world. 

They find the Phantom Thieves in shock at a theme park at the edge of Tokyo. Most of the team is there, talking amongst themselves with frazzled faces. Haru counted all of them except for the CEO's daughter, who she spots walking away from the group with a brave face. 

"I'm going after her." Haru says. Goro grabs her arm, the regret already setting in. With everything happening so quickly, she'd forgotten to turn off her ability around him. 

_I knew you reminded me too much of that damned woman -_

Haru gasps, but pulls away from his grasp to follow the CEO's daughter. She could deal with the consequences of hearing this new statement later on. First and foremost, was she alright? 

Haru had grown fond of all of the Phantom Thieves, but there was something about this young woman that she just understood. It was as if she was watching the human version of herself prance around, confused about the right side of justice. It was why she'd gone with Noir as her code name after all. 

She stops short of the entrance, seeing if she breaks at all. The daughter's face remains still until she exits and turns the corner, with no opportunity of the others seeing her. It's then that she begins to cry, a mess of emotions. There wasn't much Haru could do, especially since she wasn't assigned to her. Whoever her guardian angel was, they weren't around to support her. 

With a simple touch onto Haru's shoulder, she tries to provide some kind of positive energy. There's the memory of watching a better time between father and daughter when she’s a young child, but it's so brief she hardly sees it. It seemed to work, since she was no longer an emotional mess. Simply sniffling and hiding her face with her hands. 

"Haru? I've been looking for you," She hears the shout from behind. Goro runs up to her, and she ensures she's shut off her abilities before he comes up to hug her. She feels his hand carefully touching the back of her head and waist. Another reminder of what she heard before. Whatever it was this time around, it'd have to wait again. 

"I'm sorry," Haru says into his shoulder. "I needed to see her. She's hurting more than Ren is right now." 

They let each other go, watching Haru eventually get into a black car and drive away. The rest of the team would come out not long after, piling into a van driven by the student council president. It was clear it was weighing on them heavily, the idea of killing one of their teammate's fathers. She gets a glimpse of Ren's face, a similar one to when he was leaving the courthouse in his hometown. 

"This can't be the god, can it?" Haru asks. 

"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had some influence in this. It's likely the black mask that continues to appear on the palaces." Goro suggests. "I believe it is the detective, under the influence of the god." 

The detective had several interactions with Ren. It was clear that despite the distaste and false pretenses he gave off, there was a genuine friendship beneath it. And yet, Goro was here putting the blame on him already. 

"Why him? He hardly interacts with the wider team. What could he gain from killing the CEO?" Haru wonders. "Unless it's not the only person influencing the detective." 

"You believe this is a human's doing?"

She shrugs. "Unfortunately it's not unbelievable anymore. We've seen five horrible adults defeated by the Phantom Thieves. I think it's hard to not see it as a human influence." 

Goro brings up his hand to his chin, bowing his head slightly, "If we find the human, we can likely connect it back to the god. I do believe we're onto something." 

"I hope they all recover, this can be catastrophic if it isn't taken care of soon!" Haru exclaims. "But still, why the detective?" 

"I believe we'll see soon enough." He vaguely answers. Even with their new relationship, she'd never get used to the vague answers he gave. Sometimes it was accidental, other times he kept it that way. She assumed this one was the latter. 

"Do you still want to come over? I know this has been an unexpectedly difficult day." Haru says. 

He smirks, "Yes, let's go before something else happens here." 

It was a passing joke, but the reality of it set in with the passing weeks. The revelation of the detective having a persona, something that didn't surprise either of them. Then there was the idea of pursuing the palace of the prosecutor, who so happened to be the student council president's sister. It was making Haru's head hurt to keep up with everything happening at once. If it was frustrating for her, she couldn't imagine Ren. 

It was weighing on him heavily, especially when the hacker returned with news of the detective planning to betray them. Exactly as Goro had predicted shortly after the CEO's death. After the hacker left, and he shooed his cat away for sometime, he too began to cry similarly to his teammate. These were essentially children, undergoing severally traumatic experiences. 

"It's strange seeing him like this and feeling guilty." Goro admits to her, sitting on the sofa in Ren's room. Haru was standing next to him, her eyes never leaving Ren. There had to be something she could do. This was as close as they could get without the weight of the influence beating down on them. It had been so long since they could do anything besides watch things unfold before them. Right now, watching him cry, she didn't care about the weight or what it could do to her. 

"I'm going to try." Haru takes the first step forward, already feeling a difference. Goro watches from the seat, but doesn't try to stop her. She gets close, stretching her arms out to him. It was as if she was walking against high speed winds, and he was protected from all of it around him. The closer she gets, the worse it feels on her skin. It was comparable to the burn Goro had left on her hand before. 

"Haru you're going to die if you keep going!" Goro yells at her. With one of her hands, she reaches out and finally grabs his arm. She shouts from the feeling, knowing that whatever the influence was, it hadn't enjoyed her interfering with their plans. 

_I'm going to be honest. I hate you -_

The memory of the detective. The most recent time Ren spent with him, and she could tell it meant everything to him. She smiles at Ren, and for a moment, he looks at her direction. The room begins to spin around her, until she finds herself slipping off of his body and slamming against the ground. 

When she wakes back up, her body is in immense pain. Somehow she's back in her bedroom, still in the same clothing she was earlier. Aside from a few tears in her dress, she seemed to get out without a scratch. She couldn't say the same from the pain of sitting up. Her muscles were on fire, and she bites her lips to keep from screaming. 

"Don't push yourself. Your body has undergone a very difficult process." Goro's voice surprises her, seeing him sit in an armchair she has in the corner of the room. He sighs, "I wish you hadn't done that."

"Even if it was for a moment, I wanted to help him." Haru wearily states. Settling with her back against the headboard, she could think a little more clearly. "Ren needed that, you saw him." 

"Are you satisfied now? We really need to get back on task." She couldn't believe this, did he really have no sympathy in him? "There's still the god out there and after what they did to you, I want them dead."

"Do you truly believe this is right? Not helping him at all? It doesn't benefit either of us if ends up dead with nowhere to go!" Haru shouts back. She grabs her ribs, wincing slightly and feeling the impact on her chest. 

"It doesn't help either if you're dead. There's few ways to kill an angel and I'm not interested in finding out more." 

"I will always put my humans before myself, you understand that don't you? We need to help him, get things back to normal!"

"Haru there is no more 'normal' after this," He says quietly, his elbows propped up on his knees. "If the god takes Ren, that's it. We can't do anything. If we get him back, I cannot take him to Hell with a good conscience. Hell, you say I have no sympathy but I'm here giving him to you on a silver platter." 

"Goro…" So there was some sympathy… but he had a point. There was no way for him to have a positive outcome without him essentially betraying her. He was putting her before him. He stands up, avoiding her eyes. 

"You should rest, I'll keep an eye out and update you if anything important occurs." Her eyes follow him to the door, and if she had the energy, she'd hold him and wouldn't let him leave. She needed some excuse to keep him inside. At the perfect time, the sunlight peeking through her curtains hits her eyes. 

"Wait don't leave." She says. He stops at the door, head still down avoiding her. She could see half of his face from this angle. "It's daytime, someone will see you leaving. Stay with me." 

"Are you sure you're not searching for an excuse for me to lie with you? If you're ready to have sex all you had to do was say it," That smile was going to be the end of her, and when he turned to finally face her, she felt her cheeks warm up. 

"It-its not like that!" Haru tries to protest. Even if she wanted it, it's not like she could in her current state. "I'm simply worried for your protection, someone will harshly question your intentions in Heaven." 

Goro walks over, moving to sit in the empty space next to her. She lays her head on his shoulder, his hand finding hers. This time, no abilities. She could be at peace, without worrying about hearing memories she didn't understand entirely. 

"I know, truthfully I'm astonished you've lasted this long with me. I thought you would have come to your senses," He tells her, following it up with a light kiss on the head. 

"I think we've both surprised each other haven't we? But that's okay, I don't have any regrets." She closes her eyes, feeling herself drift off again. 

\--

It would take Haru a few days to get back on her feet, and a week before she could finally have the energy to return to Ren. Goro had told her what was happening with the prosecutor's palace, but watching it in action was something else. The careful planning from the Phantom Thieves to secure Ren would survive the attack the detective would give him was admirable. Anyone could see it, and it was even more satisfying watching it all come together. 

It left Haru on edge, considering Ren was legally pronounced 'dead', but what else could she do aside from watch? She had unfortunately learned her lesson; she couldn't interfere right now. 

Which made the politicians' palace following the chaos all the more interesting, especially since the inklings of the god were starting to bleed into reality. 

"They're going to figure out soon that the god is influencing the public's behavior." Goro says to Haru one night, the two sitting at the empty booth at LeBlanc. The Phantom Thieves were all meeting, discussing next steps for the politicians' palace after a successful trip inside. 

"I've never seen anything like it, but you're right. These people, they don't know that Mementos is driving them to be who they are. I just hope the Phantom Thieves are able to see this after they steal the politicians' heart." Haru adds on. She was able to see the team from her seat, and watched Ren lead with a confidence she worried was waning after the detective's revelation. 

"They will, although I worry for this detective will interfere with the last part of their plans." Goro says with a mild disgust in his tone. "I don't understand how Ren could have had feelings for him, he was clearly planning on betraying him from the start." 

"Love is blind, Goro. I believe we know that better than most." She reaches over the table to hold his hands. "However I'll politely disagree. The detective wouldn't have thrown the glove at Ren otherwise." 

"Okay we're not arguing about this again." Goro let's go of her hands, holding his own hands up. "We agreed to disagree before, can we please change the topic?" 

"Alright," She laughs, clasping her hands together. "I believe we're close to discovering information on this god! If they truly go down to Mementos soon, we'll get our answers for sure." 

Answers… why did that word make her feel strange?

Oh, she was still missing answers. Goro's touch at the theme park - 

_I knew you reminded me too much of that damned woman -_

Goro was in a good mood. If she was going to ask about it, she'd have to bring it up carefully. The last thing she needed was him angry at her for something she should've mentioned months ago. 

"Haru?" She gasps from the sound of her name, Goro leaning forward to her. "I've been trying to speak with you. Is everything okay?" 

"There's something that hasn't been sitting well with me," She slowly starts. The calm demeanor Goro previously had is gone, replaced by the demonic manner she had been experiencing for decades. He was putting walls back up, and she was the one holding the bricks. 

"You heard something by accident, didn’t you?" He bluntly ask, sighing after. "I've told you everything relevant." 

Not everything, clearly. Why else would Satan talk about a woman? Unless… the pieces were connecting. His strange sympathy, unlike any demon she'd seen before. His connection to Satan, despite the difficulties of getting any audience from the king of hell. How he was always, always able to win the humans whenever they were assigned together. 

"I heard something about a woman," His eyes widen, the walls crumbling down all over again. Replaced by a shell of someone she thought she knew already. This wasn't something for her to know, but she asked anyway. "You're his son, aren't you?"

"Yes, unfortunately." She was surprised how easily he admitted it. "I was hoping I'd have more time before having to explain this to you. But let's go back to your home, I want to show you something and I'd prefer not to do it here." 

She nods, the two quietly returning back to Heaven. It was going to be a long night, and she was grateful that the night was still young enough for them to have time to talk. More than that, the time to digest it all. 

Haru sneaks him inside her home, the two sitting in her living room. On the couch, she turns on her abilities again, and from the look on his face, it looked like he struggled with the pain of not turning his own on. 

"You don't have to show me if you're not comfortable." She offers him an out. Instead she's surprised by the sudden pull from his hands, and she's thrown inside -

>   
>  _A woman, alone. No, an angel, alone. Her wings battered and broken. A fallen angel, surrounded by the heat of Hell._
> 
> _A small child, horns growing out of his head. She's tired, she's exhausted, she's -_
> 
> _Dead._
> 
> _A bitter angry child, alone. Raising himself, alone. Working to move up the chains of hell, alone. In the… mines, alone._
> 
> _Face to face with the king of hell. Neither of them are pleased_
> 
> _"I knew you reminded me too much of that damned woman -"_
> 
> _But he understands his purpose._
> 
> _Dragging as many innocent humans to hell as possible. No mercy, for anyone. She feels his pain, all of Satan’s -_  
> 

"Ah!" She pulls back her hands, red from the stinging. Goro is already running to bring ice for her palms. Thankfully she caught it in time, and it was already starting to pass.

"I'm so sorry, it became too much for me, my body took over please don't leave me." He says on the verge of tears, holding her hands again. But there wasn't enough time for her to turn it off - 

_Abuse. It's cold. It's hot. It BURNS -_

She pulls herself out of it, backing away from him with fear. She immediately turns off the abilities before going up to him and bringing him in for a hug. Grateful for him doing the same in the short time apart, she feels his grip tighten around her. She didn't care about the burns on her hands, they'd heal quickly. 

His own wounds might not. 

"I'm not leaving you." She reassures him, pulling back to get a look at his face "But I need you to talk to me. The angel, she was… your mother? You're not a full demon?" 

"Satan is a sick, disgusting creature. He takes angels, and does as he pleases. I'm sure I'm not the only one like myself out there, but I'm sure I'm the only one who's used it to their advantage in Hell." He explains. 

"But you're still part angel. Maybe you can ascend, if angels can become demons, why not the other way around?" 

"Can you imagine the controversy? It's no issue when an angel falls, because they can never fly up again. But give a demon wings? There would be an uproar. Besides, I'm not exactly looking to become an angel." 

"Why not?" She asks. "You could help people, you clearly have the emotions for it." 

"I'm more demon than angel. He made sure of that." His voice is bitter, hurt. The direct mention of abuse, a confirmation she'd been looking for but never wanted to find. Of course Satan would ensure one of his own couldn't be an angel. "I don't know why you're still holding on to me, you should be afraid."

"I don't care," She smiles. "Your past is important but it won't define what you do now. You're a better man now, I can attest to that." 

"You care far too much." 

"And you don't seem to care enough." 

They laugh briefly, before he places his hand on her cheek. Their eyes meet, the tension finally hitting them. All the stress from the past few months, it was getting to them. It started out with a simple hungry kiss, but quickly leads to her on her back on the couch. His legs straddling her as their hands explored any part of their bodies they could touch. 

There's a short conversation, a rush to the bedroom as laughter fills the home. He slams the door shut, she tucks her wings in neatly as he pushes her back against the door. He pins her hands above her head with one hand, the other starting at the strings holding her dress up. 

She moans as he kisses into her neck. In less than a minute, her dress is on the floor, leaving her totally vulnerable in front of him. He lets go of her hands, stepping back to get a better view. 

"We should've done this far sooner." Goro states. Not wasting anymore time, she pushes him onto the bed, unbuttoning his own clothing to equal the playing field. He tries to sit back up and flip them over, but she keeps him down by pressing against his shoulder. 

"At least let me take this off you." She says, helping Goro take the opened shirt and pants off of his body. All of him was there in front of her. "Although I agree with what you - hm!" 

Haru's silenced with a kiss, and he flips them over so he's on top. He reaches down to touch her, soft moans coming from her throat as they kiss. He pulls away for a moment, catching his breath. 

"You know, I've been with a few demons, but never an angel before."

"I've had my fair share of times with other angels, but I already prefer this." 

"Yeah, me too."

\--

The world paused with Mementos. 

This wasn't some game anymore, and it was beyond their own comprehension. Watching the world slowly take form, fusing with the depths of Mementos until Tokyo was unrecognizable. It was horrible, and the Phantom Thieves couldn't do anything. 

Especially not when they were dragged back to reality. 

"This isn't right, why is this happening?" Haru asks, afraid for their safety as the ground continues to shake. 

"We have bigger issues." Goro shouts, already running towards Ren. Their team was disappearing, one by one. Fading away into nothingness, the sound of teenagers screaming was clear as day. Ren, however, quietly watched in horror. 

"I don't care what happened last time, we have to do something about this." Haru follows after Goro, but they're blocked this time around. An invisible wall, unable to break through. Haru flies up, trying to get around it, but finds the wall is that high up for a reason. They can't get in at all. 

"He's off to another place. Leave him be." 

A voice booms over, but she doesn't recognize it. From the look on Goro's face as she comes down, he doesn't recall it either. Was this… finally the god? Revealing himself?

"He's gone." Goro says simply. Haru watches as the last of Ren disappears. She feels the binds previously tying her to him fade away, leaving her empty and alone without him. 

"NO!" She crashes down to the ground, the concrete shattering around her. She bangs the ground, frustrated with herself for not doing anything sooner. 

"We need to get out of here, now." Goro pulls her back up, but she falls into his arms again, crying into his shoulder. "Look you can cry all you want later but we need to leave before something happens to us." 

"I know, I know!" She yells back. "We must go to Heaven, we have to make a case, maybe they can help us."

"Alright, let's just go!" He says annoyed. By the time she makes it up, there's no tears left on her face. Simply anger, frustration, annoyance. She was going to do something about this, even if it meant marching right up to their god to interfere. 

"Perhaps you should go in alone, it's daytime, and even with the angels looking down at the chaos someone will see me." He tells her right outside Heaven's gates. 

"Stay here, I'll bring a cape for you." She speeds over to her home, pulling a random white cape she had from her closet, and flies back in record time. She throws it toward him as she arrives back to him. Slipping it on, he's able to cover most of his body, and flips the hood up to cover the most obvious part: his horns. 

Haru pulls his wrist. "We don't have time. The longer we wait the more complex it can get." 

There are whispers as they pass by, even with him keeping his head. More so, there's uncertainty. No one can confirm what he is, but no one can deny the aura Goro gives off as the pair run through the streets of Heaven. 

Haru pulls open the door to the main building. She looks around, seeing Sadayo coming down the stairs with a worried look on her face, deep in her own notes. When she sees them, she rushes down. 

"What's going on here? I don't understand how your human got the attention of Yaldabaoth." Sadayo scolds the pair. 

"I don't understand, who is Yaldabaoth?" Haru wonders. "We heard him but he didn't show himself." 

"Well he wouldn't. He's too busy with the human world at the moment." Sadayo sighs. "Which unfortunately now impacts my other angels. This is ridiculous, I have enough work as it is…" 

"Even more concerning than you simply having more work to do," Goro hits back. "Is that Yaldabaoth could have killed us at any moment. I know he's more than capable of doing so with a single snap, so why didn't he?" 

"Look, I don't know. He might think you're not worth the time." Sadayo lazily complains. "Either way, Haru I found a new human for you. I'll send the documents to your home shortly." 

"No this isn't right, we can't let any of them disappear this way. Where are the angels for the rest of his team? Are they not going to fight for this?" Haru pushes. Sadayo rolls her eyes. 

"All of their angels already accepted the reassignment. None of them seemed keen on staying with them. They were doing some shady things anyhow." 

"We're not going to get anything if we stay with her." Goro whispers to her. "Agree and we'll figure this out on our own." 

Haru sighs. "Alright, I understand their perspective. I'm going home then. Let me rest for the day, and you can send me the paperwork." 

"Also get rid of… that. The smell of death is horrible." Sadayo points to Goro before walking away again. He takes a step forward, which causes Haru to grab his arm and shake her head. 

"We don't have time for this, we need to leave." Haru says under her breath. Goro takes one last look at Sadayo before following her out. Arriving at Haru's home, Goro paces back and forth in the living room while Haru stays on the couch. 

"Is Yaldabaoth that bad?" Haru asks. 

Goro pulls stops, facing her from the other side of the room. "Consider him on the same level as Satan. We can't do anything directly unless it's the corporation of another god-like figure. If Sadayo would hardly help us, we won't get an audience with your god, and I promise you Satan is rejoicing at the chaos occuring on Earth."

"Is there another god we can ask? Who could we request to hear our plea this quickly?" Haru questions. 

Goro starts pacing again. She leans back into the sofa, pulling a pillow up to her stomach. How else were they supposed to possibly solve this? She didn't know the names of gods well enough to interfere. Goro suddenly grabs onto her shoulders. 

"Or we can find him ourselves." Goro seriously says. "His spirit is wandering if another god takes it the way Yaldabaoth did. If we can find it, we can bring him to the velvet room, where I know he can trigger a true god." 

"A true god?" Haru tilts her head slightly. "Do you mean Igor?" 

"Yes, but you know where lost spirits go, correct?" 

"Limbo. We can pull him if he’s there.”

Haru gets up, going straight for her closet. Somewhere in there was an old device, and she pulled it out upon finding it. It was white, with several buttons on it. She brings it over to Goro, blowing some of the dust off of it.

"A portal? How long have you had this?" Goro wonders. Haru knew she wasn't supposed to have it, but she had kept it after all these years. 

"A while. Makoto had given it to me when she... it doesn’t matter right now. I'm not sure how she had it, but she taught me how to use it." Haru taps on a few buttons, before gently placing it on the ground. Static sounds follow, before a blue-green light fills the room, and an oval portal appears before them. 

"Where else can this take us?" Goro asks. 

"Many different places! Right now we're only going to Limbo, but I believe this can take us just about anywhere." Haru responds. 

He smirks, "You'll have to show me one day. But for now, let's go."

\--

Limbo was humid. Haru knew this coming in, and she still felt the chill down her spine when they stepped inside. If Ren was going to be anywhere, it'd be here. However, when spirits taken by other gods die the same way the Phantom Thieves did, it becomes a mess of wandering ghosts.

With no place to go, they wander an empty space. No ground below, no sky above. Darkness all around, with spirits walking in all directions aimlessly. Unlike Purgatory, there was no eventual build up. It always stayed the same. It's loud, and yet silent at the same time. The crowd of passing empty faces was disturbing to Haru, and she grabbed onto Goro's hand for reassurance. 

"Their faces…" Goro says with a slight disgust. Many of them are blank, emotions ripped away. "What happened to them?" 

"With Limbo, There's nowhere for them to go and they cannot build their world and make amends to go to Heaven. The longer they're here, the less stable they become and -"

A body aimlessly passes through them, goosebumps appearing on both of their bodies. 

"They lose their identities" 

"Yes, exactly."

"Let's find him and get him out of here before he becomes one of these. How are we supposed to locate him in this mess of bodies?" Goro gestures to the crowds of people before him. 

Haru flies up above, eyeing different faces as she does so. Goro below seems to run through and check various bodies for any similarities. She's not sure how much time passes as she looks, the faces beginning to blur into one. Wherever he was, it wasn't easy for him to be spotted. 

"Haru!" Goro calls out. She flips around, seeing Goro in front of a young man with messy hair. She shoots straight down, landing quickly next to Goro. It was him, and there was still some life in his eyes. There was a chance, maybe he could be saved. She reaches for him, and thankfully, she's able to grasp onto his spirit. It wasn't too late. 

"Ren you need to return to your body, it's still there." Haru pleads with him. "You have to remember, please!" 

Ren keeps his gaze forward, a furrowed brow forming on his face. After a moment his eyes dart around, seemingly eyeing Goro and Haru. 

"So he seems to hear you but can't see you. Interesting." Goro notes. "Ren are you able to hear me?" 

"Who's there?" Ren quietly asks. Haru jumps slightly at the sound of his voice. He didn't speak much, even among his friends. She never could get used to his voice dropping when he started high school. 

"Remember everything, you need to return to your body. You must save the world." Haru says again. "You're the Trickster, please!" 

"Uh, Haru?" Goro points to a group forming behind them. The other spirits of the Phantom Thieves, all surrounding their leader. Every single face looked determined. She brings her hands up to her face, gasping at the sight. 

"I think they heard me. There may be hope yet. Please return to your world! Your work is far from over!" Haru shouts to the whole group. The spirits around them fade away one by one, until Ren is the last one around. It was a bizarre anomaly for them to have this much influence, but it was a good sign nonetheless. 

"Don't mess this up, Trickster." Goro smirks, watching as the last Phantom Thief disappears from view. 

"Do you think they'll make it?" Haru says, peering at the emptiness where they once stood. 

"I don't know." Goro admits. "They have to try. We did our part already." 

Haru sees Goro with his hands crossed in front of him, looking off to the side as well. For everything that's happened, she's still shocked he didn't interfere. Not for a lack of trust, but because she was surprised he didn't even try to stop them from going. It wasn't Hell, but Limbo may as well be considering they would've been trapped otherwise. 

"You let them go." Haru says. He grabs her wrists, pulling her into a tight hug. She rests her head against his chest, sighing deeply. 

"This place is horrendous, a version of Hell on its own. However, I won't stand to keep any of those souls here. It's too late for everyone else here, but I'm truly glad we could save the Phantom Thieves." He pulls her back, looking down at her face. "You do realize the trouble you'll be in after all this is over, correct? Everyone was reassigned." 

It hadn't really occurred to Haru the true consequences of her actions. And yet, she wasn't worried about it. Whatever was coming, she could handle it. 

"What's the worst that could happen?" 

\--

"All rise for God."

Ren and his friends had managed to save the world from Yaldabaoth, much to Haru's delight. However, she was swiftly dragged into a courtroom the morning after. No warning, simply a knock on the door, handcuffs and all. 

So there she stood, at the very least dressed appropriately. Aside from the warm slippers on her feet, of course. It was the one thing that seemed to keep her sane, as she saw God stroll into the courtroom as if it was nothing. Despite it looking like a courtroom, there was no one here aside from her, and security guards on all doors.

God seemed bored, as if they didn't want to be here. Slouching in their seat, they looked through the paperwork before speaking. 

"Alright, Haru. You went into Limbo and pulled your human out, along with several others. Why?" 

Haru clears her throat. "Sir, my human was killed by Yaldabaoth, the false god. I went in because his group was the only ones capable of fighting Yaldabaoth. I simply could not stand by and allow the human world to fall because of this." 

"So you're admitting you did it." God pulls the papers down slightly, their eyes peeking out from the top. She could feel the hairs on the edge of her neck stand up. 

"Y-yes, sir. I did this for the good of humanity." 

"I see…" They properly put the papers down on the table, sitting back up in their seat properly. "You went against direct orders from your High Angel Sadayo, went down into Limbo without permission, and entangled the system so several of our angels are scrambling to go from their new humans back to those revived. Worst of all, you used an illegal decommised portal to go to Limbo, which is now missing despite our best efforts to find it." 

Haru tries to look strong, but inside she could feel herself losing more and more hope. What was she supposed to say? All she could do now was hope he couldn't see the tightness in her jaw. 

"Yes sir," She repeats, quietly this time. They grab the gavel on the side of the platform 

"I understand your reasoning, but if I let every angel step in when a human was lost, there would be chaos. As a result," God bangs the gavel. "I sentence you to Hell for the rest of eternity. However, you may say your goodbyes. If you do not return to this courtroom within the hour, you will be killed on sight." 

"This can't be happening," Haru whispers, the handcuffs hurting as she instinctively brings her hands to her face. She's pulled away, her face remaining still. When she's escorted out, the handcuffs are removed. With the little time she has left, she calls Goro. It goes straight to voicemail, and she panics. 

Speeding home, she tries to think straight about what to do. She didn't want to go to Hell, this was all a mistake. It had to be, and yet, it happened. Everything was being ripped away from her, for the sake of helping protect humanity. It was unfair and utterly cruel. She holds back the tears, knowing there would be a time and place. 

Now wasn't it. 

When she gets home, she looks through her home to see if Goro was anywhere. He was nowhere to be found. She sits on her living room floor, trying to think about if there was anyone she wanted to see before she left. Truthfully, there was no one she really wanted to say goodbye to. 

Makoto had fallen ages ago. Even worse, she was likely on the run, since her and Ryuji were still 'at large', as they labeled it, for the murder of Kamoshida. Her only two friends, and they were missing for years now. Goro was nowhere to be found, still not answering his phone. So that left… no one. If she tried to see Ren again, she would be caught immediately. That left her looking up at time on the wall. The clock moves slowly, the ticking loud in her ears. What… was she supposed to do. Nothing, accept the consequences of her decision. There were still no regrets. 

The Phantom Thieves killed Yaldobath. Earth was back to normal, and she had played her part in Ren’s story, even if he’d never remember. Not like it would matter now that she knew it was the last time she’d ever see him was in Limbo as a lost spirit. 

She gets off the floor, and walks back to the courthouse. Though she was able to lose her wings, she didn't feel like flying. When she eventually arrives at the courthouse, it's a few minutes before the deadline. She's put back in handcuffs before being escorted to sit in a plain room. It was likely an interrogation room, but repurposed as a holding room specifically for her. 

"Sit tight, a demon is coming to clip your wings and take you to Hell soon." The escort tells her, a look of pity before closing the door behind them. Haru sat on the cold metal chair, her feet ideally tapping against the legs of the chair. Her hands resting on the plastic table, with the handcuffs hurting her wrists. Maybe Hell could be nice…? Although with everything Goro had told her, she would be convincing herself a lie was truth. Hell wasn't fun; it made people like Goro suffer and become hardened, broken shells. 

Who knows what it’d do to a soul like her. 

The door knob turns slowly. She tightly closes her eyes, bracing herself. There's a creaking sound, footsteps following. The door closes with a locking click immediately after, and she hears the steps loop around. 

"Please, whatever you're going to do… Can you be quick?" Haru pleads. 

Instead of clipping, she feels her hands freed from the cuffs. Her eyes shoot open. Goro holds a key in one hand, the other is simply a finger to his lips for her to stay quiet. 

"You have no idea what stunts I had to pull to take the place of the demon to drag you to Hell," Goro whispers with a smile. He quietly places the key on the table. From his jacket pocket, he pulls out the portal they used to get to Limbo and hands it to her. "You said there's other places we can go using this right?" 

With the portal in her hands, she knows the potential of what was to come. A life on the run… with a demon, no less. But anything that meant he was away from his abusive life, and her punishment for helping the world, meant a great deal to her. 

"Yes, that's very true." Haru randomly taps away, before handing it back to him to place on the floor. She slides out of her seat, grabbing his hand. On the floor, the static sound returns before the room fills with a golden light. 

"You sure you're ready for this life? Neither of us can return to Heaven or Hell after this." Goro says, giving her a kiss on the forehead. 

"I don't believe either of us would want to return, would we? Although, I hope Ren will be okay." Haru remembers.

"If he was able to make his own decisions without either of our influence for an extended period, he will be fine without us. I'm sure he'll end up in Purgatory, climbing his way back up as always." Goro gently laughs. 

"What about our new deal then?" Haru ponders. Goro gestures down to them still holding hands, with little space in-between. 

"Fuck the deal. I do believe we both decided we don't want this to end." 

Haru looks to the gold portal before her. "Then let's see what our future has in store."

**Author's Note:**

> I knew this was gonna be long, but not 13k words long...  
> Anyway, if you like this and kinda want more information (specifically about Ryuji & Makoto), I wrote a shorter piece about them called 'Go Farther In Lightness'


End file.
